Over the Moon Non-Homogenised Yoghurt

Yoghurt
Cow's milk (Jersey)
Mid-North Coast
350g or 550g tubs
www.overthemoonmilk.com.au
www.johnsonsfarmgate.com.au

OK, so it's not exactly cheese, but it's one step closer to immortality than plain old milk. Not that there's anything plain about Over the Moon milk - it's 100% Jersey, non-homogenised and absolutely luscious! The milk comes from a single herd of grass-fed Jersey cows in the Hastings Valley, near Wauchope, and is sold by Johnson's Farmgate at various farmers' markets around Sydney and the Hunter Valley.

Over the Moon Yoghurt

The yoghurt is just full cream milk with cultures - no thickeners, no milk solids, no flavourings. I picked it up at the Newcastle Farmers' Market on the weekend.

Like non-homogenised milk, there's a thick layer of cream on the top. Underneath, the yoghurt might look a little lumpy, but the texture is silky smooth, and the flavour is mild and sweet with a very faint lemony tang. It has an absolutely clean, refreshing finish, with no cloying mouthfeel. So many commercial plain yoghurts leave a distinct 'essence of wet cow' character lingering on the back of my palate, but not this one.

When I asked the farmer what the cows are eating at the moment, he answered proudly, "grass". I commented that it's obvious they're not being fed silage, because there's no nutty flavours. "Just wait till Spring when the clover comes on," he said. "You can really taste the difference then." I'm looking forward to that.